Casting mechanism



Feb. 5, 1952 5, CARNES 2,584,550

CASTING MECHANISM Filed June 23, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET l INVENTOR. 5 2/6] Jfa/we 4 rTQ/PA/EY 1952. 5. J. CARNES CASTING MECHANISM 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed June'23, 1947 mall/l m WI .1

Patented Feb. 5, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SamuelJ. Carries, Camden, Ark. Application June 23, 1947, Serial No. 756,406

1 Glaim. (Cl. 199-47) My invention relates to a slug casting machine of the type disclosed in the Kingsbury Pat. 2,118,927 of May 31, 1938.

The main object of the invention is to produce an improved machine of the type set forth.

A casting machine of the type referred to includes a mold disc, which carries a plurality of molds, and an elevator, commonly known as the first'elevator, which cooperates with the mold disc in the casting operation and which, after the casting operation is completed, returns the matrices to a type sorting and distributing mechanism located above said mold disc.

The mold disc is usually provided with one, or more, two-letter molds for casting light-face and bold 'face, regular; type, and with one, or more, mo1ds for casting big type, and the arrangement is such that when a line of matrices is delivered to the firstelevator, the elevator descends to a position in which it presses on, and releases, a safety mechanism to permit the machine to go through a complete casting cycle during which the mold disc, the molten metal pot, and their adjuncts, move toward and into lock-up position with the elevator. The arrangement-is further such that, when a light face type is to be cast, the first elevator has to assume a position which is relatively lower than the position which the elevator has to assume when bold face, or when big type is to be cast. 7

Because, unless prevented from'doing' so, the elevator will always descend to the relatively lower position, and because, if this happens when a bold face, or big type, is to be cast, the interlocking parts of themold disc and of the elevator will not be in proper alignment, the machineis provided with a filler piece which the operator must place in a certain position under the first elevator to limitthe descent. of the elevator when bold face or big type is to be cast. If the operator forgets to place the filler piece in position, when bold face or big type is to be cast, the elevator will, as stated, move down far enough to release the safety mechanism and,'because the parts will then not be in proper alignment, serious damage to the machine will result. For convenience, the name display mold will be used to designate the mold used in casting bold face type, or big type, and the name regular mold will be used to designate the mold used for casting light face type.

It is therefore a further object of my invention to devise improved, automatically operable safety means for preventing operation of the machine in the event that a display mold is to be used while the filler piece referred to is not in its proper position relative tothe elevator. I I

' A further object of the invention is to accomplish the-foregoing object without adding any extraneous parts to the machine, Without in any way altering the present mode of operation, and without in any way increasing the cost of building such casting machine.

A still further object of the invention is to enabie present day users of casting machines, by the expenditure of very little time and very little effort, to alter existing machines So as to'embody this invention.

These and other objects are attained by my invention as set forth in the following specification and as shown in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view showing the mold disc of a type casting machine.

Fig. 2' is an enlarged front elevational view of a conventional lug which is used in conjunction with the display mold, the same being shown before it was altered'to embody my invention.

3 is a fragmentary elevational view of the upper portion of the first elevator, showing the face of the elevator which, in actual use, abuts the face of the mold, disc as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing the relationship of the coacting parts of the conventional elevator and the conventional mold disc when a regular mold'is in position for casting,

- Fig. 5 is similar to Fig. 4 but showing the position of the elevator relative to the mold disc when a display mold is in position, and assuming that the operator failed to put the filler piece in position under the elevator.

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the lug of Fig. 2 showing how the lug is altered to embody my invention.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the plate intersected by line 3-4 on Fig. 3, showing how this plate is also altered to embody my invention. Fig. 8 is a front elevational View of the plate, looking in the direction of line 3-8 on Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic, sectional view showing the relation of the lug of Fig. 6 and the plate of Figs. 7 and 8 when the elevator and mold disc of a casting machine embodying my invention are approaching casting or lock-up position, and

assuming that the operator failed to put the filler piece in position.

In Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawingsthere is shown a mold disc in mounted for rotation on a hub 12 and provided with a peripheral ring gear I2 adapted to engage a pinion M. The pinion M is driven by any suitable source of power, not

shown, for rotating mold; disc. as may be predetermined by selective operation of the typecasting machine.

The mold disc carries a plurality of molds I6,

18, 20 and 22 any one of which can be brought to the upper or casting position, shown at A in Fig. 1, by rotation of the mold disc. The number of molds used is immaterial and their detailed structure may be conventional and, hence, is not shown nor described. For the purpose of this application, it need only be assumed that the mold I6 is a regular mold and that the mold 20 is a display mold. The molds l8 and 22, which are only shown in bare outline may be regular or display molds.

In Figs. 3 and i, there is shown. a frame work or housing in which is slidably mounted the first elevator E, which coacts with the mold disc during the casting of the type and which, upon completion of the casting operation, raises the matrices, from which printing type has been cast, out of the mold, delivers the matrices to a sorting and distributing mechanism, not shown, and descends to a position in which the machine will be ready to begin another cycle of operation.

As will be seen from Fig. 4, the elevator includes a front jaw 24 and a back jaw 26 separated by a spacer block 21. The back jaw 26 includes a recessed member 28 which, when a regular mold and the first elevator are -in proper alignment and the mold disc moves in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 4 into lock-up position with the elevator, registers with and engages the crown 30 of the regular mold, as indicated by the broken line 32 in Fig. 4.

The elevator housing is also provided with a safety mechanism, not shown, which is operated by means of a pin 50. The arrangement of the safety mechanism is such that the pin 50 is always urged to an upper position in which the machine is locked, the pin being adapted to be depressed by the elevator when the elevator descends to release the safety mechanism and permit operation of the casting machine.

The mold disc also is provided with a positioning lug 36 which, as shown in Fig. l, is located near the upper corner of a display mold. As will be seen from Figs. 2 and 6, the lug 36 includes a body portion 38 which is secured to the mold disc and an extension 39 which projects, at a ri ht angle, in the direction of the elevator. The extension 32! has one edge thereof bevelled as shown at 45. For coaction with this lug, the elevator is provided with a plate 40, the bottom edge 42 of which is adapted to ride on the upper surface 44 of the lug 36, when the mold disc and the elevator are in proper alignment while approaching the lock-up position.

As stated, when a regular mold is in use, and when the machine is functioning properly, the

I pin 58 will be depressed to release the machine,

and the elevator and the mold disc will be in proper registration as shown by the broken lines in Fig. 4.

However, when a display mold 26 is in use, the elevator will assume the position of Fig. in which the pin 50 is depressed and the machine is ready to operate, in which position the recessed number 28 will be out of alignment with the crown 3 of the mold 20, as shown by the broken ,7

line 52. Also in this position, the bottom edge 42 of the plate 4i! is out of alignment with the upper edge 45. of the lug 38, as indicated by the broken line 54. In this position of the parts,

which is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 5,

the machine is free to o through a. complete cycle of operation and because the interlocking parts are out of alignment, one or more of these parts may be damaged or broken, thus causing serious losses.

To guard against this eventuality, present day machines are provided with a filler piece 60 which is pivoted at 62 so as to be movable about the horizontal axis of the pivot. When a regular -mold is in use, the filler piece is moved to about the position shown in-Fig. 3 and the machine will operate in the conventional manner hereinabove first described. When, however, a display mold is to be used, the operator must move the filler piece in counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, so as to assume a position between the upper surface 54 of the housing and the underside of the elevator, in which position the filler piece will overlie the upper end of the pin 50. The filler piece is of such thickness that it will raise the elevator enough to compensate for the misalignment shown in Fig. 5 and will enable the elevator to depress the pin 59 so as to permit the machine to operate. This brings the parts to the proper position of Fig. 4 even though a display'mold is in use.

In practice, the operator sometimes fails to place the filler piece in position between the bottom of the elevator and the top 84 of the elevator'housing, so that the machine is ready to operate with parts in the non-aligning position shown in Fig. 5.

In order to make it impossible for the machine to operate when a display mold is to be used while the filler piece 69 is not in its proper position, I have devised means forpreventing the elevator from depressing the pin 50 thus keeping the machine locked whenever a display mold is in casting position but the filler piece 69 is not in its proper position atop the pin 50. As best shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, I carry out my invention by cutting the free end of portion 39 of the lug 36 to produce the beveled surface 66, facing the elevator, and I cut the lower edge of the plate 40 to produce the beveled surface 68 facing the mold disc. Therefore, when the mold disc moves to lock-up position with the elevator, with a display mold in casting position and with the filler piece Be not in proper position above pin 59, the face of plate 48 will not abut the face of lug 36, as shown by broken line 54 in Fig. 5. Instead the bevelled bottom edge 58 of plate 40 will ride on the bevelled upper edge 65 of lug 3'5 and will thus cause the plate 40 to come to rest on the top as of lug 36. In this position, the first elevator can not depress and release the safety pin 50 and the machine will remain locked against operation. The operator, finding the machine locked, will now raise the elevator and put the filler piece $5 in position.

It will thus be seen that by bevelling the upper edge of the lug as at 66, and by bevelling the juxtaposed bottom edge of the plate it, as at 68, so as to enable plate 48 to ride on top of lug 36, I eliminate all possibility of the machine operating whenever the mold disc and the elevator are not in proper alignment, because, in thisposition of the parts, the elevator cannot depress the safety pin 50.

It will also be seen that my invention can be readily incorporated in new machines and can be readily applied to already existing machines at negligible cost and without in any way interfering with the ordinary operation of these machines. 7

In' the appended claim, theword lug, will refer to hepart. 3. theword in s? w l refer t 5 the part 45, the words regular mold will refer to a mold during the use of which the mold disc and the elevator are in proper alignment, as shown in Fig. 4, and the words display mold will refer to a mold during the use of which the mold disc and the elevator will be out of alignment, as shown in Fig. 5, unless the filler piece 99 is in proper position.

I claim: y

In a type-casting machine of the kind which includes a mold disc having at least one display mold, an elevator movable into a lower casting, and into an upper, non-casting position, a safety mechanism normally locking said machine against operation and adapted to be released by said elevator when the latter moves to its lower casting position to permit operation of said machine, the structure of said machine being such that, when a display mold is in casting position, the elevator will, when it moves to its lower casting position, be at a lower level than, and will therefore be out of alignment with said display mold but will be in a position to release said safety mechanism unless a filler piece of the necessary thickness is placed between the elevator and the safety mechanism to bring the elevator into proper alignment with the display mold while still permitting the elevator to release said safety mechanism, a lug located adjacent said display mold and projecting toward the juxtaposed face of said elevator, and a plate carried by said elevator in juxtaposition to said lug, said lug and said plate being so related that, when the elevator and the display mold are in proper alignment, the bottom edge of said plate, when said display mold and said elevator are in lock-up position, will ride on the upper surface of said lug and so that, when 6 said elevator and said display mold are not in proper alignment, the lower portion of the plate will abut the upper portion of said lug, the invention which resides in bevelling the upper portion of said lug to provide a surface which slants upwardly in the direction of the mold disc and in also bevelling the lower portion of said plate to provide a surface which slants downwardly in the direction of the elevator, whereby the lower slanted edge of said plate will ride over the upper slanted edge of the lug when the mold and the I elevator are brought into lock-up position while the display mold and the elevator are not in proper alignment, to keep the elevator in an upper position in which it can not release the said safety mechanism unless the said filler piece is in position.

SAMUEL J. CARNES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record m the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES "Linotype Machine Principles, published by the Mergenthaler Linotype Company, Brooklyn, N. Y., pages 116, 121. (Copy in Division 17.) 

